Leave entitlements

Annual leave

All staff are entitled to 20 working days of recreation leave per year.

Annual recreation leave loading

Prior to Christmas a loading of 17.5% of salary is paid on leave accrued during the year.

Long service leave

Long service leave is accrued at the rate of 6.5 working days per completed year of service and is available to be taken after 7 years of service.

Prior continuous paid service within other Australian higher education institutions, or other bodies approved by Council, is recognised, providing that any break between service at the university and the staff member's previous institution is no greater than 8 weeks.

Maternity leave/adoption leave

A period of paid and/or unpaid leave to a maximum period of 52 weeks is provided to assist the staff member during pregnancy/adoption.

Partner leave

An entitlement of up to one week's paid leave is provided for employees to spend time with their partner at the time of the birth of their child. A further 51 weeks of unpaid leave are available to a staff member who is the certified primary care-giver of the child.

Sick leave

General staff are entitled to 15 days paid sick leave per year, cumulative. Academic staff are initially entitled to one month of paid sick leave per year, non cumulative. The annual entitlement for academic staff increases with length of service.

Special paid leave

An entitlement to a total of 5 days' paid special leave per year (non-cumulative) is available for and/or all of the following:

Bereavement leave

An entitlement to paid leave per year based on account of the death of a family member. Additional paid leave may be approved on compassionate grounds.

Carer's leave

Leave to provide care and support for family members when such persons are ill.

Cultural and ceremonial leave

Leave to enable a staff member to participate in, or fulfil, cultural obligations and/or to celebrate religious and cultural national days related to the culture with which the staff member or family member identifies. Emergency action leave Leave to enable attendance at an unforseen emergency situation necessitating immediate personal action by that staff member. Conversion of sick leave to paid special leave Where an employee's entitlement to special paid leave is exhausted, up to an additional 10 days of his/her sick leave entitlement per year may be converted to special paid leave.

Leave without pay

Staff may apply for periods of leave without pay under certain conditions.

Flexible employment options

Conversion to part-time The opportunity to convert to part-time for a specified period for the purpose of caring for a family member.

Flexible working hours

This is a negotiable working arrangement that, subject to the needs of the work area, provides eligible staff members with an opportunity to have more flexibility in their working hours.

Part-year employment

This is an arrangement whereby a staff member may take leave without pay for a number of weeks per year (usually 4). The reduced annual salary is averaged over the whole year, ensuring a regular annual income.

Part-time employment

An arrangement whereby a staff member works a period of hours per week that is less than full-time.

Library facilities

Staff members are permitted to borrow up to 30 items from the Library at any one time, including periodicals, videos and audio material.

Child care centre

Salary packaging

Salary packaging is available to most staff members (excluding casual employees and scholarship holders). Salary packaging allows staff to receive at least part of their remuneration in a form other than take-home pay. Staff members are offered the opportunity to choose from a list of benefits (determined by the university) that are paid, on their behalf, by the university in lieu of receiving gross salary. The university charges a fee for providing the service.

Journey accident insurance

Staff members who are injured as a result of an accident on their way to and from work are insured for loss of earnings. Journey Accident Insurance will only apply where a staff member's sick leave has been exhausted and where no other form of compensation is payable to the staff member.

Superannuation

Defined Benefit Plan/Investment Choice Plan

All staff appointed on recurrent funds who have a contract of 2 years or more at an appointment fraction of 50% or more are required to join the UniSuper Defined Benefit Plan/Investment Choice Plan Superannuation Scheme. The staff member's contribution is 7% of salary and the university's contribution is 14% of salary.

Award Plus Plan (APP)

All staff members are required to join the APP, which is a productivity scheme to which the university contributes 3% of salary. No contribution is required of the staff member. Where staff members are not entitled to join the UniSuper Defined Benefit Plan/Investment Choice Plan, the university's contribution is increased to 9% of salary, under the terms of the Superannuation Guarantee legislation.

Staff development and training

Outside Studies Scheme (Sabbatical Leave)

Academic teaching staff may apply to carry out sustained research or scholarly/professional activity outside the university.

Overseas Conference Scheme

A member of the teaching staff may be granted up to 2 week's absence from the university to attend an international conference.

Study Leave for General Staff

General staff may apply for up to 6 hours of paid leave per week to permit them to undertake study towards an approved tertiary course.

Employee Assistance Program

An independent and confidential counselling service is available to university staff members who are experiencing either personal or work-related problems.

Staff can refer themselves to one of the designated psychologists and up to 3 sessions will be paid for by the university.